16 or 18? A Time for Reflection?

If not for the intervention of the British journalist, Flora Shaw, who coined the name ‘Nigeria’ in 1897, I think ‘Russia’ would have been a  more appropriate name because Nigerians seem to forever be in a rush – and about everything too! You cannot be in an orderly queue for more than 5 minutes before somebody starts to complain, and like an orchestra that had been awaiting the conductor’s cue, ten others instantly join in, in a loud chorus. Or do we talk about how Lagos motorists in particular, speed senselessly, in a hurry to nowhere? Or how Nigerian passengers hurriedly remove their seatbelts, grab their bags and try to dart for the exit as soon as a plane lands on the tarmac? Okay, I think we’re doing better with this now but I’m sure you get the general idea. Nigerians have never been known for their patience. Something which others regard as a virtue is often interpreted here as being dull, not sharp, not smart.